In the summer of 2017, the life of Joseph Jacob 'Joey' Leeman, Jr., a 29-year-old man from Walterboro, South Carolina, was cut short in a violent encounter. On the night of June 3rd, what began as a drug transaction in the backyard of a residence on Nunuville Road ended in his death. Leeman, who had earlier acquired a quantity of crystal methamphetamine, had arranged to sell some to one of his regular customers, Dana Castillo-Martinez.
Leeman, accompanied by his girlfriend, met with
Martinez, who arrived in a white Acura. As they were negotiating the deal, a man emerged from the darkness brandishing a handgun. The man, later identified as Corey Niko Sanders, pulled Leeman's girlfriend from their vehicle and threatened her, demanding Leeman's drugs and money. Leeman, refusing to comply, drew his own weapon. In the ensuing confrontation, Sanders shot and killed Leeman before fleeing the scene with Martinez.
The investigation into Leeman's murder quickly led authorities to the individuals involved. Leeman's girlfriend was able to identify Corey Sanders as the shooter. Investigators discovered that the supposed drug deal was a setup for a robbery orchestrated by Martinez and Sanders. Just before the meeting, Martinez had dropped Sanders off nearby so he could approach on foot and carry out the robbery.
Corey Niko Sanders was arrested and charged with murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. In May 2019, Sanders pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and kidnapping and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Dana Castillo-Martinez, then 39, pleaded guilty to attempted armed robbery in connection with the incident in October 2018. Two other men, Gary Dale Hickman and Harold Hatchell, were also implicated in the plot. Hickman was charged as an accessory before the fact but was killed in a separate drug-related incident in November 2017 before he could stand trial. The gun used to kill Leeman was found under Hickman's body. Harold Hatchell, then 63, was also charged as an accessory before the fact.
